"It does not help, but I'm certain it isn't the only thing watching us..." Nenne sighs. She peers through the peephole and backs away. "How do you suppose we turn that dial?"
“By trusting a gnome,” Boosey replies. “Allister, can you lift me so I can see through the peep hole, please? If this indeed shows a serpent, we should assume that that whoever enters the tomb makes that their first step now, remember I was attacked stepping on the vulture. If one of you would record the sequence I will attempt to turn the dial with mage hand”
The sight that awaits Boosey isn't what he had hoped for, but it captures the gnome's attention regardless. The peep hole must magnify the sight beyond because the mage hand is not recognizable through the thing at first. Boosey sees a colorful, transluscent mesh of magic all woven together to form the shape of the mage hand. He can see tiny balls of energy rippling across the surface of the mage hand, as the magic holds it together. The sight is a definite nod to the weave and just how intricate magic can be. Boosey's thoughts are drawn to the tinkerers that serve Gond and he wonders if they have seen such a sight, or if they had even guessed to try to look.
Boosey doesn't seem to be able to do anything with the mage hand, but he could stare at its close up wonder all day. On a grimmer note, Glimbul, and perhaps Nenne, notices that the mage hand is taking on a more ghoulish appearance each time it is cast. It might have been tricks on the mind before, but no, those are decidedly the outlines of bones.
Nenne notes the subtle changes in Boosey's magic in grim silence when something loosens in her memory. She cocks her head as she thinks.
"What if the key to solving this riddle is not in one location?" she mentions to the group. "The plaque said 'only a jewel can tame the frog,' and there was no jewel or even a hint of one in Nangnang's tomb at all. We collected beads for the beholder's mirror that were scattered everywhere. Is it not reasonable to consider that the answer to this riddle is also spread across the tomb?"
"Recall the illusion we each saw through the jackal's teeth. We know the dwarf died, and that the image of his demise repeats slightly differently. At the very least, seeing which tiles he steps upon can help us rule out some danger. It might be wise to go back and study it."
After coming up empty with ideas for a while in that section of the complex, it's decided to give Nenne's idea a look at least. Moving back to the jaguar mouth is an easy task, if not a wet one. The trident method of passing through the water wall seems to work again. Looking back through the jaguar's teeth shows the party the same image from before.
A slab of wall suddenly grinds upward to the east, and a dwarf wearing a turban and chain mail creeps into the tomb. He brandishes a shield in front of him as he treads cautiously across the floor.
A loud click sounds out as the dwarf steps onto one of the floor tiles. Then a deafening buzzing rises as locusts pour out from the mouths of the sphinx statues, quickly engulfing him. He tries to fight them off, to no avail. When the cloud of insects vanishes, nothing of the dwarf remains except its bones and gear.
Reexamining the room Glimbul looks to the hole in the ceiling with curiosity. “Perhaps we inspect the room above this one again. And test a theory there.”
Ushering the party to the room with the Devil Mouth, he takes some rope and slowly lowers it into the mouth for a few feet.
Boosey looks into the heads mouth and shudders, violently. Staring at the wall he begins to speak. "Ants crawling in and out of eye sockets in a face with skin so taut you can see the bone almost pushing through. Lips bleeding and gums with jet black teeth, insects and worms crawling in the mouth amongst offal. It haunts me still, and it is all I can see in this face. I beg of you, do not go in there, lest you live my nightmares."
Curious about the distance, the party lowers a rope through the mouth until it hits ground and determines the drop is roughly 23 feet.
"I do not like this plan at all, but it seems marginally less insane than testing tiles and hoping we've guessed correctly," Nenne sighs. "We can tie off the rope, or lower someone down, and see what it looks like below. If it is I'Jin's tomb, then we might be able to bypass the floor entirely, assuming the locusts do not attack immediately upon ingress. We push open the sarcophagus, collect what's within in a sack, and climb back up."
She runs a worried hand through her hair. "I am deeply uncomfortable with the magical darkness, however. If something happens, I cannot teleport in or out, and there is only so much magic I have that does not rely on sight."
The bard stands mouth agape. "You are seriously suggesting lowering one of us into a black pit full of unknowns is less insane than......than entering that tomb? Did no-one ever hear the tale about the over curious cat? No good will come with meddling with this skull, I'm sure of it," and he clutches at Papazotl's amulet, holding it tightly in one hand. He starts shaking again, and repeating the word "no" over and over again to himself. He stops muttering and looks to the cleric. ""In darkness it hides." That's what it said on the monument outside the tomb. What if it is in there. We don't even know what it is! It is not going to be something fluffy and cuddly, is it? In this place? Don't go in there.....just....just...don't". He clutches the amulet even tighter and gives another deep shudder.
The cleric kneels before Boosey and holds his shoulders gently. "For all we know, it is the entity that has done this to you."
Her voice is as understanding and soothing as she can muster. "I know you are frightened and have seen horrors. If anyone can empathize, it is I. Yet the plaque also instructed us to descend into darkness, and we know there is an entry directly above the barge. This is a risk, unquestionably, but I truly cannot fathom how returning to the medallion will be any more effective, or safer. Unless you or one of the others has considered something I haven't?"
Looking between the two who seem to be having their own moment. “It looks safe enough. The rope was fine and even bats came out. Allister, are you fine if we lower you in by rope?”
"This....here is insanity. We know nothing of this or what is in there, and are only guessing that it reaches down into I'jin's tomb. A risk? It is folly of the highest order to go in there, even attached to a rope. We have an option for the tiles, it is dangerous, yes, but they are dangers we can prepare for and mitigate. How do we prepare for the unknown? What if we lose Allister in there, how do we get him out? I have dreamt of skulls, and even in a dream it is not a place I would go by choice!"
Nenne glances at Allister. "If it is to be you, I would beg you to let me cast protective magics before you descend. The bats emerged unscathed, which is promising, but who can say what will happen should you touch down. Constant communication will be critical, here. And perhaps an exploratory look and return before anyone touches the sarcophagus, just to ensure we can pull you out quickly if necessary."
The cleric gives Boosey a sad, understanding smile and rises.
The party continues to argue about how best to proceed. Eventually, they tie the exploratory rope off and leave it dangling, then they all return to the medallion, ready to see if the rope is visible once the door opens to I'Jin's tomb.
The heavy stone block shakes the small hallway as it grates up into the celing. The hole in the ceiling of I'Jin's tomb has a rope coming out of it to land on top of the funeral barge.
Nenne steps up to Allister and puts a hand on his shoulder. "It seems we have options," she says, nodding toward the rope. Her amulet glows a fierce, protective ruby and Allister feels a warmth enter him as the Death Ward spell takes root.
"Tiles or teeth. That was a good idea Nenne, and it looks like there may be another way in." The gnome looks speculatively at the rope, then down at the tiles. "Which is it going to be then? Neither option seems particularly palatable."
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"It does not help, but I'm certain it isn't the only thing watching us..." Nenne sighs. She peers through the peephole and backs away. "How do you suppose we turn that dial?"
“By trusting a gnome,” Boosey replies. “Allister, can you lift me so I can see through the peep hole, please? If this indeed shows a serpent, we should assume that that whoever enters the tomb makes that their first step now, remember I was attacked stepping on the vulture. If one of you would record the sequence I will attempt to turn the dial with mage hand”
The sight that awaits Boosey isn't what he had hoped for, but it captures the gnome's attention regardless. The peep hole must magnify the sight beyond because the mage hand is not recognizable through the thing at first. Boosey sees a colorful, transluscent mesh of magic all woven together to form the shape of the mage hand. He can see tiny balls of energy rippling across the surface of the mage hand, as the magic holds it together. The sight is a definite nod to the weave and just how intricate magic can be. Boosey's thoughts are drawn to the tinkerers that serve Gond and he wonders if they have seen such a sight, or if they had even guessed to try to look.
Boosey doesn't seem to be able to do anything with the mage hand, but he could stare at its close up wonder all day. On a grimmer note, Glimbul, and perhaps Nenne, notices that the mage hand is taking on a more ghoulish appearance each time it is cast. It might have been tricks on the mind before, but no, those are decidedly the outlines of bones.
Nenne notes the subtle changes in Boosey's magic in grim silence when something loosens in her memory. She cocks her head as she thinks.
"What if the key to solving this riddle is not in one location?" she mentions to the group. "The plaque said 'only a jewel can tame the frog,' and there was no jewel or even a hint of one in Nangnang's tomb at all. We collected beads for the beholder's mirror that were scattered everywhere. Is it not reasonable to consider that the answer to this riddle is also spread across the tomb?"
"Recall the illusion we each saw through the jackal's teeth. We know the dwarf died, and that the image of his demise repeats slightly differently. At the very least, seeing which tiles he steps upon can help us rule out some danger. It might be wise to go back and study it."
After coming up empty with ideas for a while in that section of the complex, it's decided to give Nenne's idea a look at least. Moving back to the jaguar mouth is an easy task, if not a wet one. The trident method of passing through the water wall seems to work again. Looking back through the jaguar's teeth shows the party the same image from before.
A slab of wall suddenly grinds upward to the east, and a dwarf wearing a turban and chain mail creeps into the tomb. He brandishes a shield in front of him as he treads cautiously across the floor.
A loud click sounds out as the dwarf steps onto one of the floor tiles. Then a deafening buzzing rises as locusts pour out from the mouths of the sphinx statues, quickly engulfing him. He tries to fight them off, to no avail. When the cloud of insects vanishes, nothing of the dwarf remains except its bones and gear.
Reexamining the room Glimbul looks to the hole in the ceiling with curiosity. “Perhaps we inspect the room above this one again. And test a theory there.”
Ushering the party to the room with the Devil Mouth, he takes some rope and slowly lowers it into the mouth for a few feet.
The rope comes out as easily as it went it, with no issues, save a few harmless bats disturbed.
"Think you that this is the third entrance into the tomb? If so, what do you propose, rappelling down? What happens after? We'd be trapped inside."
Curious about the distance, the party lowers a rope through the mouth until it hits ground and determines the drop is roughly 23 feet.
"I do not like this plan at all, but it seems marginally less insane than testing tiles and hoping we've guessed correctly," Nenne sighs. "We can tie off the rope, or lower someone down, and see what it looks like below. If it is I'Jin's tomb, then we might be able to bypass the floor entirely, assuming the locusts do not attack immediately upon ingress. We push open the sarcophagus, collect what's within in a sack, and climb back up."
She runs a worried hand through her hair. "I am deeply uncomfortable with the magical darkness, however. If something happens, I cannot teleport in or out, and there is only so much magic I have that does not rely on sight."
The bard stands mouth agape. "You are seriously suggesting lowering one of us into a black pit full of unknowns is less insane than......than entering that tomb? Did no-one ever hear the tale about the over curious cat? No good will come with meddling with this skull, I'm sure of it," and he clutches at Papazotl's amulet, holding it tightly in one hand. He starts shaking again, and repeating the word "no" over and over again to himself. He stops muttering and looks to the cleric. ""In darkness it hides." That's what it said on the monument outside the tomb. What if it is in there. We don't even know what it is! It is not going to be something fluffy and cuddly, is it? In this place? Don't go in there.....just....just...don't". He clutches the amulet even tighter and gives another deep shudder.
The cleric kneels before Boosey and holds his shoulders gently. "For all we know, it is the entity that has done this to you."
Her voice is as understanding and soothing as she can muster. "I know you are frightened and have seen horrors. If anyone can empathize, it is I. Yet the plaque also instructed us to descend into darkness, and we know there is an entry directly above the barge. This is a risk, unquestionably, but I truly cannot fathom how returning to the medallion will be any more effective, or safer. Unless you or one of the others has considered something I haven't?"
Looking between the two who seem to be having their own moment. “It looks safe enough. The rope was fine and even bats came out. Allister, are you fine if we lower you in by rope?”
"This....here is insanity. We know nothing of this or what is in there, and are only guessing that it reaches down into I'jin's tomb. A risk? It is folly of the highest order to go in there, even attached to a rope. We have an option for the tiles, it is dangerous, yes, but they are dangers we can prepare for and mitigate. How do we prepare for the unknown? What if we lose Allister in there, how do we get him out? I have dreamt of skulls, and even in a dream it is not a place I would go by choice!"
Nenne glances at Allister. "If it is to be you, I would beg you to let me cast protective magics before you descend. The bats emerged unscathed, which is promising, but who can say what will happen should you touch down. Constant communication will be critical, here. And perhaps an exploratory look and return before anyone touches the sarcophagus, just to ensure we can pull you out quickly if necessary."
The cleric gives Boosey a sad, understanding smile and rises.
The party continues to argue about how best to proceed. Eventually, they tie the exploratory rope off and leave it dangling, then they all return to the medallion, ready to see if the rope is visible once the door opens to I'Jin's tomb.
Allister pushes the button to open the door. He steps towards the entrance and says „If someone wants to cast a spell, do it now.“
The heavy stone block shakes the small hallway as it grates up into the celing. The hole in the ceiling of I'Jin's tomb has a rope coming out of it to land on top of the funeral barge.
Nenne steps up to Allister and puts a hand on his shoulder. "It seems we have options," she says, nodding toward the rope. Her amulet glows a fierce, protective ruby and Allister feels a warmth enter him as the Death Ward spell takes root.
"Tiles or teeth. That was a good idea Nenne, and it looks like there may be another way in." The gnome looks speculatively at the rope, then down at the tiles. "Which is it going to be then? Neither option seems particularly palatable."